Scrub-woman&#39;s knee-pad.



No. 736,648. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903.

W. STBERS, SR. SORUB WOMAN'S KNEE'PAD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1902.

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UNTTED STATES Patented August 18, 1903.

W'ILLIAM STEERS, SR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SCRUB-WOMANS KNEE-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 736,648, dated August18, 1903.

Application filed November 3, 1902 Serial No. 129,886. (No model.)

To all 1072,0121, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ILLIAM STEERs, Sr. a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Scrub-Vomens Knee-Pads,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a knee-pad, and while it ismore especially intended and designed to be'used by women as aprotection to their knees and skirts while scrubbing floors, yet it isapplicable for use by men in laying tile floors and in polishinghard-wood floors and the like; and it consists in certain peculiaritiesof the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the variousparts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth andspecifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a knee-pad whichshall be light in weight, simple and inexpensive in construction,strong, durable, and so made that it will roll easily over the floor toallow the position of the operator to be changed when necessary anddesired and will furnish a cushion for the knees and support for theskirts or clothes of the user.

Another object is to provide means for adjusting the height of theskirt-supporter, as well as bracing and strengthening it, without addingmaterially to its weight and cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in thesubj oined description and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view of a kneepad embodying my invention, showing it restingon the floor and illustrating a woman kneeling thereon and in the act ofscrubbing. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the device, showing a portion of thecovering broken away to show the filling or padding. Fig. 3 is a rearView in elevation. Fig. at is an end view in elevation. Fig. 5 is aperspective sectional view of a portion of the padded frame, showing itinverted; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the frame of theskirt-supporter.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The numeral 10 represents the main or pad frame, which may be of anysuitable size, form, and material, but is preferably rectangular inshape, as shown, and formed of a single piece of board or wood havingsecured on its upper surface at its ends and front edge cleats 11 tostrengthen it and prevent it warping. The frame or piece 10 ispreferably provided on its lower surface with recesses 12, in which arerotatably journaled casters 13 and 14, which rest on the floor.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings it will be seen that thecaster 13 is located about the middle of the piece or frame 10, uearitsfront edge, while the casters 1 1 are located near its ends and at therear portion thereof, thus allowing the position of the pad to bereadily changed to suit the requirements of the user. The front middleportion of the frame 10 is provided with a handle 15, by means of whichthe device may be carried. Attached to one end of the frame 10 is a boxor dish 16, which may be used for holding soap or a brush. Located onthe upper surface of the frame or piece 10 is a quantity of padding orfilling material 17, such as excelsior, curled hair, or other suitableyielding material. This padding or filling is retained in place by meansof a covering 18 of oil-cloth to prevent it absorbing water, whichcovering may be secured to the edges of the frame in any suitablemanner. Each end of the frame 10 is provided with a series of open ings18, arranged one above the other, to receive the inturned ends 19 of theskirt-supporting frame 20, which is preferably made of wire and bent toform three sides of a rectangular figure having arms 21 with theinturned ends 19, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Thearms 21 of the skirtsupporting frame are movably secured to the ends ofthe frame 10 by means of staples 22, which provide bearings for the saidframe when it is desired to raise or lower it, which may be done byspringing the arms 21 out wardly, so as to remove the ends 19 from theopenings 18 in the main frame. In order to brace or strengthen the frame20 and at the onally, as at 25, to one end of the frame, to

which portion it is tied or secured, and then extends, as at 26, to theelbow 23, where it is again attached to the frame, and from thence itextends parallel with the rear portion of the frame 10, as at 27, to theelbow 28 of the other arm 21, and from thence obliquely, as

at 29, to the rear portion of the frame 20, where it is again tied orattached, and from thence, as at 30, to the end of the frame,where it isagain tied or secured, and from thence, as at 30 to the elbow 28, atwhich point it is fastened. To prevent the wire slipping, the frame 20is preferably formed with a series of crim ps or bends 31, as is clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. As is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and3, the rear portion of the frame 20 is slightly downwardly curved, so asto prevent the skirts falling over at the ends thereof. I

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen andclearly understood that by kneeling on the padded frame 10, so that thefeet will extend over the rear portion of the skirt-supporting frame 20,as shown in Fig. -1, the said frame will support the skirts or clothingat a distance from the floor, thus keeping them dry and preventing thembeing soiled.

It is apparent that the device may be easily turned or moved back andforth when desired by the user or operator.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the Wheeled and padded main frame, of theskirt-supporting frame adjustably secured thereto, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a padded main frame, of a number of wheelsrotatably journaled thereon to support the same, and a skirt-supportingframe adj ustablysecured to the main frame, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the'padded main frame, of a wheel vertically androtatably journaled near its front edge and about the middle thereof, awheel vertically and rotatably j ournaled at the rear portion of each ofits ends, and a skirt-supporting frame adjustably secured to the mainframe, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with the padded and wheeled main frame having ineach of its ends a series of openings, of a skirt-supporting framehaving near each of its ends an arm loosely secured to the main frameand provided with inturned ends to fit in said openings, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination with the padded and wheeled main frame having aseries of openings in each of its ends, of a skirt-supporting frameprovided with crimps or bends in its rear and end portions, and havingnear each of its ends an arm loosely secured to the main frame andprovided with inturned ends to fit in said openings, and netting securedto the skirt-supporting frame at its crimps or bends, substantially asdescribed.

WILLIAM STEERS, SR.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON.

